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I’m curious to know when people daven, how much they actually say from a siddur and how much they daven by heart. I used to daven mostly by heart, but then we made aliyah and I switched from nusach Ashkanaz to nusach Sfard so I had to daven from a siddur. Now that I know enough to daven Sfard by heart, I find I still prefer to daven from the siddur. For me, it seems more fulfilling. Anyone?
It is always far better to daven in a siddur, even if you know it by heart.
It is always far better to daven in a siddur, even if you know it by heart.
This may be true for some people; others may be able to have more kavana with their eyes closed.
I was taught to always look inside (one can close eyes in between for even more kavana). I would imagine elu v’elu.
I therefore look inside even for kiddush, despite having said it for many years…
mamesh takah really 😉
mamash: Why?
I prefer with a siddur.
A couple of years ago, one of Rabbi Reisman Shlit”a’s Motzei Shabbos shiurim was about the MANY conflictingopinions about how to have proper kavana for davening. I recommend locating that shiur. In the end though, it boils down to what works best for you. And be honest with yourself….Tefilla is one of the only things that’s going to let us get through this crazy time we live in.
I read that Vilna Gaon emphasized the need to read the Shema from the Siddur rather than to say it by heart. This from a man who had a photographic memory of Gemara. I assume the reason he insisted on this is the chance that we could unintentionally leave out or misremember passages we have been saying since we were small.
I get the point about closing your eyes while saying Ashrei, etc. I find myself doing this at Shacharit and Mincha.
I read that Vilna Gaon emphasized the need to read the Shema from the Siddur rather than to say it by heart. This from a man who had a photographic memory of Gemara. I assume the reason he insisted on this is the chance that we could unintentionally leave out or misremember passages we have been saying since we were small.
Or it might be because the text of Shema isn’t in the Gemara.
I also always learned that you should daven from the siddur. yes you can close your eyes for a few moments if it makes your kavana better (i know it does for me), but for the most part the davening should be read from the siddur. it’s really interesting because even tho i’ve been davening for oh so many years, every now and then i realize i’ve been saying some words incorrectly! so i see why it’s so important to look inside and really concentrate on what ur reading.
KEBE
R Reisman is also makpid on pronouncing the milel & milra properly when davening, easier for most when looking in 😉
I read an article last year (and for the life of me I cannot remember where) that no matter how much of the service you know by heart and therefore do not use the siddur, you should always use it for every Kaddish in case you forget a word.
Personally, I would say that I do some parts by heart and use the siddur for some parts. I wish that I knew more by heart because I enjoy davening with my eyes closed. I seem to feel closer to Hashem that way. (now I wish I could learn to keep my eyes open during the sermon).
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